Mumbai, Oct 10 (IANS): In an initiative mentored by Nilesh Shah, Group President and Managing Director of Kotak Mutual Fund; Navneet Munot, MD & CEO of HDFC Mutual Fund; and Shailesh Lodha, Indian poet, actor, and writer; Deepak Mundra conceived this visionary social project.

Thirty-three distinguished professionals have united as thought partners to support DMi’s “SaveTreesbyDMi” Initiative, which introduces the “Save Tree VC” mobile app, promoting Digital Contact Sharing and Personal Social Responsibility (PSR) for the environment.

Demonstrating a remarkable commitment to Personal Social Responsibility (PSR), a collective of distinguished professionals known as Team #SaveTrees Initiative is poised to revolutionise contact sharing with the introduction of their “Save Tree VC” mobile application.

Inspired by the principles of PSR, mirroring the corporate world’s CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), this initiative seeks to save trees and reduce paper waste by replacing conventional paper business cards with digital card sharing and storage.

The “Save Tree VC” mobile app, proudly labeled ‘Made in Bharat’ is offered to users for free on both iOS and Android platforms for a lifetime. The official launch, presided over by Nilesh Shah, Navneet Munot, and Shailesh Lodha, took place on October 8 at the prestigious Nehru Centre in Mumbai.

The core objective of the application centers around its environmental impact. According to the team hypothesis, using the ‘Save Tree VC’app for one year by 50 people can save one tree, as 20,000 paper business cards are equivalent to one tree.

Beyond its ecological benefits, the “Save Tree VC” app streamlines contact management, saving users time and costs associated with paper business cards. A startling statistic underscores the gravity of the issue: roughly 10 billion business cards are printed annually, with an astonishing 88 per cent discarded within a week. This contributes to excessive paper waste, compounded by methane emissions from decomposing cards in landfills -- a potent greenhouse gas linked to global warming.

Commenting on the development, Nilesh Shah said: “Darkness can be dispelled by sunlight. But, instead of waiting for sunrise during the night, one can light a candle to dispel darkness, however small.

“We are taking a small step to save trees by launching the app, which can replace paper business cards. I hope more and more people will join in to make this a success. The ‘Save Tree VC’ app will modernize contact sharing by generating QR codes for contact details and digitally saving scanned paper cards from others.”

While Navneet Munot said: “As custodians of our future, we must each play our part in making a difference towards a better world. The SaveTrees app is a promising step towards this future. The app is not only a technological advancement but also a societal imperative to conserve our planet for generations to come.”

Deepak Mundra, the mastermind behind this initiative, expressed his vision, stating: “Our primary objective is to save trees, and concurrently, our secondary objective is to enhance people’s efficiency in terms of contact management.

“We are striving to collect insignificant efforts collectively from the masses, and this will have a significant impact on the environment we live in. That is the sole reason our endeavour is to transform this initiative into a Mini Jan Aandolan.”

The app offers several features, including the ability to make calls directly and a search function in the saved card holder feature, while also integrating with WhatsApp. This Made in Bharat “Save Trees VC” mobile app is made available to the masses for free, and it will remain free for a lifetime.

The Team SaveTrees Initiative extends heartfelt gratitude to all the individual Lead Volunteers who have joined hands for this noble cause, emphasizing that every small effort contributes to a more sustainable future.